RESEARCH IN FRUIT INDUSTRY PLANNED

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19134, 29 July 1930, Page 9

RESEARCH IN FRUIT INDUSTRY PLANNED

MARKETING BOARD GIVES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

(Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, July 29. In view of the growing importance of the Dominion’s fruit industry', the need for paying the closest attention to the quality of exports and the im-

portance of reducing the costs of production, the Government h'-.s decided to make provision for a definite

In making this announcement the Prime Minister, the Hon G. W. Forbes, said that Cabinet had recently approved of a grant which, together with generous assistance from the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board and the Empire Marketing Board, would enable an orchard property of seventy-two acres situated at a convenient distance from Nelson to be acquired. The area would be vested in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, whose Fruit Research Committee had been investigating the problems of the industry- and had selected this property as being well suited for tie field work still requiring attention. The horticulture division of the Department of Agriculture and the Cawthron Institute would now be enabled to conduct and extend their fields of investigation in co-operation in the centre of an important fruitgrowing area where the results of their work could readily' be brought to the notice of orchardists and therefore be rapidly put into practice. The orchard would also be available for instructional work both for officers of the horticulture division and for fruitgrowers.

The Empire Marketing Board had made a grant of £ISOO a year for the actual maintenance of the research work for a period of five years. This grant would be subsidised on a £ for £ basis by' the Government.

The Fruit Research Committee had already prepared a scheme of investigation covering such orchard work as tree stocks, infltier.ee of fertilizers and lime, pruning, insect and fungoid investigations and, in addition, further research upon the influence of transport and storage under known temperature and humidity conditions upon fruit wastage. Cool storage investigations, which had been carried out for some time at the Cawthron Institute, in the land stores at Nelson and by the Fruit Research Committee on vessels proceeding to Great Britain, would also be extended. Co-operation with the Cambridge Low-Temperature Research Station would be provided for in the arrangement, as promising results already have been secured by the cooperation of this station in cold storage investigations. The scheme would be gradually developed and the fullest co-operation arranged both among local organisations and with research institutes such as that at East Mailing in Great Britain. It is deemed essential to assure the overseas consumers of New Zealand fruit that every possible care was being taken to ensure that the quality would be of the highest. The scheme would provide the neces-

sary' scientific assistance to fruitgrowers in the Dominion to enable them to overcome insect and fungoid pests and to guide them in the proper use of fertilisers, manures and in general orchard management.